


Lay It All on Me (I'll be your shoulder)

by Hyeyu



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, Fever, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Schmoop, Sick Character, Sickfic, Tonsillitis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 03:43:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5952412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyeyu/pseuds/Hyeyu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>“Sawamura-san.” Akaashi Keiji’s voice was unmistakable over the line. “I’m sorry to bother you, but it appears that Kuroo-san’s not well.”</p>
</blockquote><br/>Despite falling ill, Kuroo insists on attending class. Daichi handles the aftermath.
            </blockquote>





	Lay It All on Me (I'll be your shoulder)

**Author's Note:**

> This is 101% indulgent, I can't even lie.
> 
> I've set this in the same university head-canon as ['Run, run, run'](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5735533) \- you don't have to read that for this fic to make sense, but it might give some additional context regarding the characters.
> 
> Title adapted from Ed Sheeran's 'Lay It All on Me'.

Daichi didn’t think too much about it when he woke up to find himself alone in the apartment Kuroo and he shared – the taller student had early classes on Tuesdays, while Daichi’s only lecture that day started at two in the afternoon. Morning volleyball practices were on Mondays and Fridays, and Daichi had stayed up late the night before to finish formatting the citations for an assignment due at the end of the week. As such, he indulged in a lazy morning, yawning as he started the coffee machine in the kitchen and contemplated whipping up some sort of lunch. Nothing too complicated – they were down to their last couple of eggs and some fish. Daichi idly made a mental note to remind Kuroo to stop by the local supermarket on the way back.

He was just peering in the refrigerator when his cell phone started ringing, the dub-step Kuroo had insisted on setting as his personal ringtone blaring through the comfortable quiet. Daichi ambled over to where it was plugged into its charger, snagging it as he glanced at the clock. Five minutes past ten – Kuroo’s class would have just ended. If he could get Kuroo to pick up some milk, maybe he could test out the savoury pancake recipe Suga had forwarded to him last week.

“Tetsu?”

“Sawamura-san.” Akaashi Keiji’s voice was unmistakable over the line. “I’m sorry to bother you, but it appears that Kuroo-san’s not well.”

Worry creased Daichi’s forehead as he moved back towards the bedroom, all thoughts of lunch forgotten. “He’s sick?”

“He’s definitely feverish, and has just about lost his voice.” Akaashi paused; through the tinny static of the speaker, Daichi could make out the harsh sounds of someone coughing in the background. “We’re still in the lecture hall - there doesn’t seem to be any classes directly after ours, and I figured Kuroo-san could use the rest. Nevertheless, it would be best to get him back to your apartment as soon as possible.”

“I’m on my way – I’ll see if I can borrow Moniwa’s car keys.” Tugging a t-shirt over his head, Daichi stopped only to grab the well-stocked first-aid kit they kept under the coffee table before heading out. A gut feeling told him he’d need it, and Daichi was a big believer in instincts.

Thankfully, Moniwa hadn’t left his apartment yet; it didn’t take long for Daichi to borrow and drive the tiny Honda over to where the Law faculty was located on the campus. Akaashi had texted him the room they were in, and Daichi had wandered around the building before with Kuroo, so locating exactly where they were wasn’t too difficult a feat.

Akaashi looked up from his phone as Daichi pushed open the door. “That was quick.”

“Yeah, Moniwa was in, and this place is pretty close to where we live anyway.” The messy head of hair beside Akaashi hadn’t moved from where it was tucked into folded arms on the table, hadn't even twitched upon Daichi’s entrance and Daichi squashed down irrational anxiety as he approached the pair. Kuroo was generally pretty sharp; for him to not react at all, especially to Daichi’s voice, was testament enough as to how badly he must feel.

Carefully slipping into the seat beside Kuroo, Daichi ran gentle fingers through his boyfriend's hair, massaging slowly at the scalp. Soft strands, free of hair wax, tickled his hand – clearly, Kuroo had felt poorly enough this morning to skip his usual routine.

“Tetsu? You there?”

The head shifted until two bleary eyes appeared over the fold of arms, blinking groggily at Daichi. “…’chi?” The sound was little more than a rasp, a far cry from Kuroo’s normally smooth tenor.

“Ouch, that sounds pretty painful.” Daichi pressed his palm to Kuroo’s forehead, grimacing at the sticky heat it encountered there. “We've really got to have a long discussion about what we do when we're feeling like crap. First step: stay at home and rest.”

An aborted noise, then Kuroo was coughing; raw, choked sounds that shook his entire frame as he hunched in on himself, clearly trying to contain the shudders that shivered through his lean frame. Daichi rubbed his back in long, soothing strokes as he exchanged glances with Akaashi.

“He was fine yesterday.” Was he? Daichi certainly didn't remember any particular complaints from the Law student, or anything out of the ordinary for that matter. Then again, Daichi had been engrossed in completing a major assignment for one of his classes. They had always given each other space during self-declared ‘crunch’ periods - it wouldn't be unlikely for Kuroo to hide something like this so as to not distract him.

“I think it might be tonsillitis,” Akaashi offered, showing Daichi the information he had pulled up on his cell phone. “That could strike pretty quickly. We’d need him to sit up for me to check if his throat is swollen though.”

“We’d have to get him up to move him to the car anyway.” Sighing, Daichi grasped Kuroo’s shoulders. “Tetsu, think you can straighten up for us?”

Another groan, then Kuroo pushed himself off the table, leaning heavily backwards into the cushioned seat. Daichi ignored the marks where the buttons of Kuroo’s clothes had pressed into his face, focusing instead on the pallor of his skin, fever-bright spots blooming red over pale cheeks. He pressed his hands to said cheeks and Kuroo’s eyes fluttered closed, leaning into the cool touch. Dressed in what appeared to be two jumpers, his hair falling into his eyes and sticking out even more messily than normal, Kuroo appeared smaller than his 187cm frame. Daichi couldn’t help the soft sound of sympathy that escaped his lips as he positioned his boyfriend to rest against his shoulder.

Akaashi was considerate enough to wait until Kuroo was settled before he reached in and carefully palpated around Kuroo’s throat, earning him a small wince from the other boy. “It’s definitely swollen; very likely tonsillitis after all. Does he get it often?” 

“I don’t think so. At least, it’s the first time I’ve seen him contract it.”

Akaashi squinted at his phone again. “Kuroo-san, is it particularly hard for you to breathe at the moment?”

A few seconds, then Kuroo rolled his head on Daichi’s shoulder – a close enough approximation to ‘no’.

“That’s a relief at least - by all accounts, this should pass within a few days. Where did you park the car, Sawamura-san?”

“As close to the entrance as I could. Before we move him…” Rummaging through the first-aid kit he had brought, Daichi made a satisfied sound as he located the box of fever relief pads, pulling one out. Peeling off the adhesive backing, he passed it to Akaashi. “Best to start getting that fever down first. If you wouldn’t mind, I’ll push his hair out of the way.”

Once the pad was snugly settled on Kuroo’s forehead, Daichi slowly pulled Kuroo to his feet, the taller boy swaying as he stood. “Is this ok? Are you dizzy?” 

Kuroo closed his eyes again before bobbing his head slightly. “Headache,” he whispered. “Can walk though.”

“We can work with that.” It was slow-going, but with Daichi’s shoulder as support, the pair managed to make their way to where Daichi had parked Moniwa’s car. Once Kuroo was settled in the front seat, Akaashi reappeared, handing Daichi a bottle of orange juice. “I got this from the vending machine in the foyer. Make sure he drinks some before he takes any paracetamol; it’s not advisable to take those on an empty stomach.”

“Thanks, Akaashi. We seriously owe you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” The other boy smiled slightly. “Kuroo-san would have done the same for me, had our positions been reversed. Although, were I in his condition, I’d like to think that I’d be smart enough to have stayed at home in the first place.”

“Well, don’t expect to see him around campus for the rest of today. Tomorrow too, maybe.” Daichi glanced at the car. “At least it doesn't seem too serious. Could you let coach know we probably won’t be in for practice tonight? I’ll probably skip as well, just in case.”

“Alright, I’ll tell him. Remember to get Kuroo-san to drink lots of water and get sufficient rest. Painkillers should be fine, if the headache gets too bad.”

“Got it, thanks again.”

Slumped as he was, the only indication that Kuroo was still awake was the pained furrow buried in the middle of his forehead. Daichi cracked open the bottle of juice, glancing around the car’s back seats. Moniwa usually had a sports bottle stashed somewhere from practice, and that usually had a- Daichi made a triumphant noise as he spotted said bottle, popping open the cap to remove the thick plastic straw attached to it. He dropped the straw into the juice bottle before pressing the whole thing into Kuroo’s hands. “Try to drink a little of this – small sips, ok? I’ll give you some aspirin when we get home.”

Under better circumstances, Kuroo would have laughed at Daichi’s conscientiousness, asking teasingly if he was his boyfriend or mother. Daichi would have grumbled and swatted at him until Kuroo pressed an apologetic kiss against his temple. Now, Kuroo sipped at the straw listlessly, making small pained winces after particularly painful swallows. Daichi took care to keep the drive as bump-free as possible, but both of them heaved sighs of relief when their apartment building finally came into sight.

In their doorway, Daichi stopped long enough to pull their shoes off before maneuvering Kuroo towards their bedroom, thankful for the tiny size of their residence for once. From there, it was easy to settle Kuroo in, fluffing up pillows to prop him into a comfortable position and bundling him under the blankets. Getting Kuroo to swallow an aspirin took a little more effort, and Daichi ended up breaking the tiny tablet into even tinier pieces so as to not aggravate Kuroo’s throat further. Exhausted as he was, it didn’t take too long for Kuroo to doze off afterwards, remaining asleep even when Daichi carefully slid a thermometer into his ear to check his temperature.

It’s strange, Daichi thought, seeing Kuroo this still; the taller boy had the tendency to shift around even in his sleep. Tucked into his side of the bed, tight lines of discomfort still creased the corner of Kuroo’s eyes. Sweat-matted hair hid the fever pad on his forehead from sight, but the dark flush staining his face warned of a fever that would take a while to break. Sighing, Daichi pulled the blankets up a little higher before padding out of the room. There would be plenty of time to lecture his boyfriend for attempting to attend classes while sick after he recovered.

In the meantime, he was pretty sure they still had some rice in the kitchen somewhere – might as well get started on some congee for later.

\---

It was an itch at the back of his throat that inexorably, insistently dragged Tetsurou out of the comfortable grasp of sleep and back into the agonizing state of being awake. Groaning triggered an unwelcomed round of coughing that refused to end, each cough like staccato fire, scraping painfully against the raw sides of his throat as it chased the lassitude of rest away.

Words, coming from afar. Then something – hands? Too large, not Daichi - pulled him up into a sitting position, anchoring him until the coughs receded into a swollen, constant burn. Someone carefully propped him against the headboard – not Daichi’s body wash, stockier frame, who? –  and ice-cold palms pressed briefly against his face, neck, forehead. He shivered. More words – to him? Low, familiar voice, not Daichi - but Tetsurou was more focused on staying upright, the relentless pounding of his head threatening to physically tip him over.

Everything was too heavy. Everything _hurt._

Coolness against his forehead again – another hand? – and something thin held against his lips. Instinctively, he sucked on it and was rewarded with something cold – not water? Thick? Sweet? - soothing his throat enough to numb the soreness slightly.

He sucked at the straw until it disappeared, head drooping forward after it until he was pressed back again. Where’s Daichi? Who is this person? Too much thinking, thoughts too heavy. Lethargy slowed everything down, and Tetsurou was too tired to gather the fragments together. Unconsciousness tugged irresistibly at him, promising respite from the aches and pains; he succumbed to the pull, sinking into familiar pillows and blankets that smelt like Daichi.

Daichi. He’ll ask Daichi later, was his last sluggish thought before slumber slipped over him in blessed relief.

\---

Daichi didn’t linger in the lecture hall after his class was over, promptly making his way back to the apartment once the lecturer had dismissed them. Iwaizumi looked up from his laptop at Daichi's entrance. “Done with classes for today?”

“Yup. Thanks for hanging around, Iwaizumi.”

“Nah, it’s no problem.” Iwaizumi began stacking his textbooks together. “Sure beats the library. Plus, I got free food out of it. Seriously, you make a mean congee.”

“Hope it wasn’t too tasteless for you – I had to keep it milder than usual, since, well, Kuroo.”

“Nothing a dash of soy sauce couldn’t remedy. By the way, you were right; the coughing did wake Kuroo up a couple of times. Gave him the honey you kept in the fridge – I didn’t want to risk cough syrup, just in case. He was really disoriented the first time, but much better every round after that. The rest helped, I think. The dizziness seems to have lessened too - he refused my help in going to the bathroom.”

“That’s good to know.” Daichi saw Iwaizumi out before going to the bedroom to look in on Kuroo himself. Iwaizumi had removed the fever cooling pad, replacing it with a washcloth they kept in their bathroom. The furrow between Kuroo’s eyebrows had eased at least, his lips slack and parted rather than pursed in discomfort. Daichi stayed long enough to re-soak the makeshift compress, replacing it on Kuroo’s forehead before tiptoeing back out.

He was watching a Japanese drama a classmate had loaned him an hour later when the bedroom door clicked open. Turning his head, he smiled as Kuroo shuffled into sight, hair sticking up in all directions as he gingerly lowered himself onto the sofa beside Daichi. “It lives.”

Kuroo didn’t bother acknowledging the remark, tilting over to flop along the length of the couch, his head landing squarely in Daichi’s lap.  At some point, he had changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt – one of Daichi’s, judging from the way it hung from the taller boy’s shoulders. Daichi hummed, pressing a hand to his boyfriend’s forehead and another to his neck. “Still feverish, but you don't feel as warm now. How’s your head?”

Kuroo managed a shrug. So-so then. “Throat still sore?”

Kuroo shot him an unimpressed look, making sure Daichi was looking at him before he did an exaggerated eye-roll. “Ok, dumb question. At least you’re feeling good enough for sarcasm now; Iwaizumi said you were still pretty out of it earlier. Guess the morning really did a number on you, huh?” Daichi flicked Kuroo on the forehead, grinning as the other made an aggrieved expression. “That’s for going to class even though you were ill, idiot. Don’t think you’ve escaped my nagging - you know you should have woken me up at least.”

Kuroo frowned, opened his mouth, closed it again. _You were tired_ , he tried whispering before coughs shook his frame again. Daichi pulled him closer, petting his hair reassuringly. “Shhh, don’t aggravate that sore throat further. And while I appreciate the thought, you know I’d rather be up if you need me, instead of asleep and oblivious. You should have told me you weren't feeling well this week. Assignment deadline or not, it's my job to fuss over you during times like these.”

Kuroo huffed, a soft airy breath, and Daichi sighed. “You know you’d say the same thing if I were the one who was sick. Don’t even try to argue that it’s different – it’s the same, no matter how your lawyer-brain wants to spin it. Are you hungry, by the way? There’s congee in the kitchen; I can go get you some.”

Long fingers caught Daichi’s wrist as he made to move. Blinking, he looked down into half-lidded eyes as Kuroo mouthed a word at him.

_Stay._

Unable to help the smile that tugged helplessly at the corner of his lips, Daichi resettled against the sofa, his hand resuming its strokes through Kuroo’s hair as the other boy made a soft happy sound, curling closer to Daichi. Petting soon became a gentle shoulder rub, Kuroo making contented little hums as Daichi kneaded at the nape of his neck.

It was nice to be able to spoil Kuroo a little, despite the circumstances. For all his reputation (and it was quite the reputation if even the girls in Daichi’s classes ogled him openly), Kuroo was a surprisingly sweet and considerate partner. Not that Daichi protested much, on his part – it was addictive to be cherished so thoroughly.

If you had asked high-school Daichi to describe the ex-Nekoma captain, he would have immediately answered ‘devious’ without hesitation. ‘Provocative’, ‘cool’, ‘magnetic’ – all common adjectives associated with Kuroo, for good reason. Daichi had attended one of the law faculty’s mock trials once, before they had started dating. Even then, he was forced to admit that Kuroo radiated charisma, confidence saturating his every word as he commanded the attention of the room from the prosecution bench. The same applied to the volleyball court – while he may have forfeited any ambition to go pro, Kuroo’s shrewd strategies and unflappable presence contributed to the university team’s rediscovered competitive edge.

Dating Kuroo, however, never took root in Daichi’s mind until he moved to an apartment closer to campus, only to discover that the enigmatic law student was his new roommate. Over time, the bag of adjectives Daichi had tagged to Kuroo expanded – ‘caring’, ‘romantic’, ‘sarcastic’, ‘stubborn’, ‘sexy’... the closer they got to each other, the more Kuroo shared of himself, tiny facets that only Daichi was privileged enough to see. He hoarded them all even as he reciprocated, responding to Kuroo’s advances readily, if somewhat tentatively. Back then, he hadn’t been sure if Kuroo had been serious about their relationship. It had taken a few weeks, a phenomenal argument and an equally phenomenal reconciliation before he added ‘committed’ and ‘devoted’ to the plethora of qualities that comprised Kuroo Tetsurou.

While he was freely generous with his affection, Kuroo rarely demanded the same from Daichi. He really should do more for his boyfriend when he was feeling better, Daichi mused as he watched Kuroo stretch luxuriously under his ministrations. Despite the still-pallid skin tone, the bruises under his eyes that spoke of exhaustion and the sticky-heat of fever, Kuroo was stupidly breath-taking. Daichi couldn’t resist leaning downwards, pushing soft hair out of the way to drop a kiss against a warm forehead.

“I love you, you know. So don’t make me worry more than I already do.”

He pressed another light kiss to the corner of Kuroo’s mouth, then brushed one across his nose. By the time the mild twinge in his back has him straightening back up, the bliss radiating from Kuroo was almost palpable. A hand caught one of Daichi’s again, entangling them together lazily. Kuroo made sure to catch Daichi’s eye before he whispered, tendrils of honesty curling carefully soft around the sentiment.

“I love you too.”

It was barely audible – Kuroo really shouldn’t be straining his throat, and his voice was still sandpaper-hoarse. But that was ok – Daichi would be able to coax the words out of him again at another time; Kuroo never had any problems admitting his adoration for him after all.

In a while, he would have to get Kuroo up and made sure he ate some congee. Then, they would spend the rest of the night watching the remaining episodes of Ouroboros, Daichi supplying the snarky commentary Kuroo could not. After that, aspirin again if necessary, then bed. Daichi would consider sleeping on the couch, so as to not disturb Kuroo’s rest. Kuroo would protest silently, hugging Daichi’s midsection until he caved, reasoning that Kuroo would probably be better rested curled up against him as per their usual routine anyway. (Also, he had staunch confidence in his immune system’s defence against any infection, but he wouldn’t say that out loud, or Kuroo would insist he stay away for his health’s sake.) Kuroo would be shaken awake once by a particularly hard coughing fit, but be coaxed back to sleep after sips of water and hands rubbing calming circles into his back.

But that was all still a while away yet, and Daichi was content with how they were at the moment, one hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder, the other entwined with his hand as they rested together, tucked away from the rest of the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! (^=˃ᆺ˂) 
> 
> As usual, thanks goes to the one and only [enzen](http://wataksampingan.tumblr.com/) for letting me bawl about my blocks, and checking this through for me.
> 
> Come find me [here](http://hweiro.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr if you want to chat.


End file.
